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ToaWaterfowl致水鸟byWilliamCullenBryantYouthandEducation•BryantwasbornonNovember3,1794,HewasthesecondsonofPeterBryant,adoctorandlaterastatelegislator,andSarahSnell.HismaternalancestrytracesbacktopassengersontheMayflower;hisfather's,tocolonistswhoarrivedaboutadozenyearslater.Bryantandhisfamilymovedtoanewhomewhenhewastwoyearsold.TheWilliamCullenBryantHomestead,hisboyhoodhome,isnowamuseum.AfterjusttwoyearsatWilliamsCollege,hestudiedlawinWorthingtonandBridgewaterinMassachusetts,andhewasadmittedtothebarin1815.HethenbeganpracticinglawinnearbyPlainfield,walkingthesevenmilesfromCummingtoneveryday.Ononeofthesewalks,inDecember1815,henoticedasinglebirdflyingonthehorizon;thesightmovedhimenoughtowriteToaWaterfowl.•Bryantdevelopedaninterestinpoetryearlyinlife.Underhisfather'stutelage,heemulatedAlexanderPopeandotherNeo-ClassicBritishpoets.“TheEmbargo”,asavageattackonPresidentThomasJeffersonpublishedin1808,reflectedDr.Bryant'sFederalistpoliticalviews.Thefirsteditionquicklysoldout—partlybecauseofthepublicityearnedbythepoet'syoungage—andasecond,expandededition,whichincludedBryant'stranslationofClassicalverse,wasprinted.TheyouthwrotelittlepoetrywhilepreparingtoenterWilliamsCollegeasasophomore,butuponleavingWilliamsafterasingleyearandthenbeginningtoreadlaw,heregeneratedhispassionforpoetrythroughencounterwiththeEnglishpre-Romanticsand,particularly,WilliamWordsworth.Compositionandpublicationhistory•TheinspirationforthepoemoccurredinDecember1815whenBryant,then21,waswalkingfromCummingtontoPlainfieldtolookforaplacetosettleasalawyer.Theduck,flyingacrossthesunset,seemedtoBryantassolitaryasoulashimself,inspiringhimtowritethepoemthatevening.•ToaWaterfowlwasfirstpublishedintheNorthAmericanReviewinVolume6,Issue18,March1818.ItwaslaterpublishedinthecollectionPoemsin1821.Criticalresponse•MatthewArnoldpraiseditasthebestshortpoeminthelanguage,andthepoetandcriticRichardWilburhasdescribeditasAmerica'sfirstflawlesspoem.Mainworks•1808TheEmbargo禁运，asatiricalpoeminreactionagainstJefferson’straderestrictions•1817Thanatopsis死亡冥想broughthimhisfirstsuccessbutalsogeneralattentiontohisextraordinarygenius.•1821Poemsconsistingofeightofhispoems“ToaWaterfowl”,“Thanatopsis”,and“TheYellowViolet”.•1870PoeticaltranslationsofHomer’sIliadand1871Odyssey•LibraryofPoetryandSongHisContribution•1.HewasthefirstAmericannationalpoet.•2.Heprovidedwhatthenationneededatatimeofnationalself-consciousness.•3.HemadeAmericansubjectsworthyofcelebration.TheTheme•Naturereinforceshappinessandsoftenssorrow,deathispartofnature,destinyofall,andthegreatequalizer.•Hispoemsidealizetheadvantagesoflifeinthecountryoverlifeinthecity.•Heinsistsupontherightsoftheindividualbutmaintainsthattheindividualpossessescertaindutiestowardhisfellowman.HisSubject•Thebeautyandharmonyofnatureasasourceofsolace,joyandescape•Thedignityofhumanity•Thesacrednessofhumanfreedom•ThepowerandbeneficenceofGod•PoliticalandphilosophicalissuesHisStyle•Conventionalstyleonthewhole•Lyricandthoughtful•Seriousanddignified•BlankversewithoutrhymeSummaryofthepoem•Thenarratorquestionswherethewaterfowlisgoing.Hequestionshismotivesforflying.Hewarnsthewaterfowlthathecouldpossiblyfinddanger,travelingalone.But,thiswaterfowlisnotalone.HeknowsthatthewaterfowlisbeingledbysomePower（神秘主义mysticism）.Asthewaterfowlreachesoutofthenarrator'ssight,thenarratorreflectsonGod'sguidanceinhisownlife.ThenarratorissurethatGodhasledthiswaterfowl,andthatthewaterfowlhadfaithinthenarrator.Now,thenarrator'sfaithisstrengthened.HeknowsthatGodisguidinghimaswell.•AsthenarratorseesGoddirectingthewaterfowl,thenarratorisremindedofGod'sguidanceinhisownlife.Throughhisobservanceinnature,thenarratorisreconnectedwithhisfaithinGod.Analysis•“ToaWaterfowl”iswritteniniambictrimeter（抑扬三部格）andiambicpentameter（抑扬格五音部）,consistingofeightstanzasoffourlines.ThepoemrepresentsearlystagesofAmericanRomanticismthroughcelebrationofNatureandGod'spresencewithinNature.•BryantisacknowledgedasskillfulatdepictingAmericanscenerybuthisnaturaldetailsareoftencombinedwithauniversalmoral,asinToaWaterfowl.Theme•JustasGodguidesthewaterfowltoitssummerhome,sotooHeguidesthespeakerofthepoemthroughlifetohisultimatedestination,heaven.•Thepoemis,inessence,aprofessionoffaithinGod.Meter•Ineachstanza,thepoetusesiambictrimeterinlines1and4butiambicpentameterinlines2and3.Thesecondstanzaillustratesthisformat:•vainLY/theFOWL/er’sEYEtrimetermightMARK/thyDIST/antFLIGHT/toDO/theeWRONG,pentameteras,DARK/lySEEN/aGAINST/theCRIM/sonSKY,pentameterthyFIG/ureFLOATS/aLONG.trimeterBryant’s“ToaWaterfowl”Whither,‘midstfallingdew,Whileglowtheheavenswiththelaststepsofday,露珠正在滴落,白昼将退,天际遍洒柔辉，Where,amidstfallingdew,Whiletheheavensglowwiththelaststepsofday,Bryant’s“ToaWaterfowl”Far,throughtheirrosydepths,dostthoupursueThysolitaryway?天上玫瑰红一抹，你要往何处孤独远飞?DoyoupursueYoursolitaryway?Asthedewfallsandthesunsetsintherosydepthsoftheheavens,Iwonderwhereyou(waterfowl)aregoing?本诗第一节就以整节的篇幅描绘一只水鸟孤独地飞在天空中的画面背景；Bryant’s“ToaWaterfowl”Vainlythefowler’seyeMightmarkthydistantflighttodotheewrong,你振翅远飞却无法伤害你，猎鸟者也许已注意到hunter’sBryant’s“ToaWaterfowl”As,darklypainted